When the silence comes
by Katrina Snape
Summary: A little rushed now, but it gets better later. My first ST:VOY fanfic, don't let that put you off though! I also post in the Harry Potter section as Katrina Snape.
1. Chapter 1

When the silence comes

A Star Trek Voyager fanfic

By Beki Smith

Chapter 1: Prisoners of war

Allya turned over in her cell. She had counted the cracks in the dull gray ceiling a dozen times now, and each time made her sentence seem longer. Her once shining reddish-brown hair fell limply around her jaw line. They were feeding her - she knew now, it was only a matter of time before they assimilated her and she became one of them. They had told her what she would be called - six of seven. What a name. She'd much rather stay as Captain Allya Stevens of the Maquis starship Joker, thank you very much.

"Captain, we're detecting a Borg cube on the long range scanners." The voice of Ensign Winters ran through Kathryn Janeway's head and she looked up.

"Is it hostile?"

"We don't know, Captain - hang on, we're receiving a message. Harry?" Ensign Kim looked up as he pressed the 'on screen' button. A tall, lanky Borg appeared on the screen.

"We will take over your ship. Fear us, we have a Maquis captive already. Resistance is futile." The face disappeared from the screen, and the crew looked at their Captain, each face asking for an answer.

"Janeway to Seven of Nine," the voice of her captain rang through the speaker of Seven's com badge.

"Seven of Nine here, Captain." The next sentence she heard hit Seven like a ton of bricks. They were coming back. For her?

"We've detected a Borg cube on the long range scanners, they appear hostile - report to the bridge immediately." The next minutes flashed by, for Seven, Janeway and the rest of the crew, except for the few in sickbay - Lieutenant Tom Paris and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok. Seven of Nine was sent to try and infiltrate the Borg system - a dangerous attempt left her captured by the Borg and sentenced to re-entry into the 'community'. Janeway, Chakotay, Kim and Winters - all captured by the Borg. Only the rest of the crew escaped, B'Elanna Torres risking the crew to steer the ship away. Janeway watched through the screen of her captive ship as Voyager went to warp and blasted away from them. Chakotay rested a hand on her shoulder - they both knew there was nothing they could do now.

Back on Voyager, Tom Paris awakened, having recovered from the effects of the sedative.

Allya sat up, suddenly, her hair flying haphazardly around her face. Four people had just been thrown - literally - into the cell, and were now lying splayed out on the floor, one of them writhing in pain. A brown haired woman, with a stern look on her face, stood up and turned towards the guard, One of Five.

"You will not take us, Borg. We will stand our ground, and fight for our humanity." Allya let out a small gasp, as One of Five laughed hoarsely and smirked; no one had ever talked back to the guard before. Could it be? No, Voyager was long lost. Why did she torture herself with thoughts of Tom? Two of the other Federation officers were sitting huddled in a corner, him with his arm cradling her, her clutching her broken arm. The one remaining man, with a tattoo on his forehead, turned towards Allya and studied her from leather tank top to shining boots.

"You're Maquis," he said, curiously. Allya tried to speak, but no sound came out, she hadn't spoken for some time. The second time, a voice came from her mouth, croaking and hoarse.

"I am now, I used to be Federation, like them."

"What do they call you?" he sat down on the edge of the metal bed and looked into her soft green eyes.

"Captain Allya Stevens, of the Maquis starship Joker. Formerly Commander Stevens of the Federation starship Prosper." The woman who had yelled at the guard turned and looked at Allya.

"Why did you..." The woman broke off, suddenly, extended her hand, and introduced herself.

"Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager." Allya stood up, suddenly, making the man on the end of the bed jump, and the two in the corner look up, suddenly.

"Say that again?" She walked towards Janeway, and stared at her. Janeway repeated herself, slowly, utterly confused by it all. Allya sat down on the bed again, head in hands. "Voyager... he's on Voyager... Tom..." Allya spoke to no one in particular, but they heard. The man leaned in towards her, and asked another question.

"Tom who?" Allya turned her face towards the two officers, now sitting side by side. A tear ran softly down her cheek, and she shook her head to get rid of it, her hair once again whirling around her head. She looked to the ground, and whispered the name of the man she had loved... and lost.

"Tom Paris."

Back on Voyager, Paris ran into the turbo lift and jammed his thumb onto the button that read 'bridge'.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Along the winding road

"Ensign, report." Paris strode across the bridge and took his place as commanding officer due to the absence of the captain and commander, and the illness of the security officer, Tuvok. Ensign Andrews scanned his station for a report, and found the information he was looking for.

"We are out of tracking range from the Borg cube thanks to Lieutenant Torres, but we have lost many crewman including the Captain, Commander Chakotay, Ensign Kim and Ensign Winters. Before we left their space, the Borg informed us that they were re-inserting Seven of Nine into the 'community'." Paris sighed and leant over the console that the Ensign sat at.

"This ship does not go any further towards the alpha quadrent until we have recovered our crew."

"Tom Paris" Allya whispered, head turned towards the floor. Kathryn looked at Allya.

"Why did you leave the Federation?" She asked, kneeling to the Maquis captain's level.

"I was arrested for conspiring against the Federation. Two other people were arrested at the same time as me. One for murder, one for actions with fatal intent." Allya wiped the tears from her face and looked at the Captain in front of her.

"The one tried for murder was Tom, wasn't it". 

"How did you know?" Allya looked, bemused, at the information this woman held.

"Lieutenant Paris works on my ship at the helm. You tend to know these things about your crewmen. For now, however, we must forget the past and concentrate on the present. Ensign Kim, Ensign Winters, come over here. Captain Stevens, do you know a way out of here?" Allya stood up and went over to where the desk was chained against the wall. She took out a com badge, a handheld scanner, and a piece of acetate sheeting. Allya pinned the badge to her torso, placed the scanner in her belt, and gave the sheet to the captain.

"This is a map of this level of the Borg cube. We are here. My ship is in the bay over here. The rooms along corridor Beta 6 are heavily guarded...."

"What are we going to do now?" Ensign Andrews bought the ship to a full halt so they could assess damage and addressed the commanding officer.

"We should wait a while. If I know Captain Janeway, she'll find a way back to Voyager before you can say assimilation."

"Hey!" Allya rattled the bars of the prison and yelled at the guard. "Hey, metal head!" One of Five turned and walked towards the Maquis Captain.

"Feeble human. Resistance is Futile, you shall never get out of here."

"You want them alive, right?" Allya said, pointing to the huddle of Federation officers. "One of them is ill! You think she's going to be worth anything like that? All of them are suffering, look! You have to help them if they're going to be worth anything to you!" One of Five considered this for a moment, then issued two of the other officers to escort the group to the medi-bay. When they had got through corridor Beta 6, Chakotay issued the first blow to the escorting Borg - a kick straight into the torso of the guard on the right. Allya tackled the other and stole his weapon. Chakotay took the weapon of the other guard and the group ran to the bay. When they were running, Chakotay issued a comment -

"You did that martial arts course too, Captain Stevens?"

"Oh yeah. And passed in first as well."

"I noticed."

"Tom, there's something on the long range scanners." B'Elanna looked at the console again. "It's a Maquis ship, and it's armed."

"Power up the shields and prepare to open communication channels."

"There's something on the scanners, Captain." Allya and Kathyrn looked at each other. "Which Captain?" Allya asked, turning back to the console.

"Both," Chakotay replied.

"It's a Federation ship, and it's hailing us." Allya took a deep breath, and opened the channel, putting the face of Tom Paris up on screen. "Oh god..." Allya muttered under her breath.

"Ally?" Tom gasped, and looked at her. "It can't be you... you never got paroled..."

"No, Tom, I killed three Federation officers, escaped and joined the Maquis." Tom looked at her, then at Captain Janeway, who nodded. "Tom, open one of your landing bays and drop shields. I've got some crew members to return to you." Paris' face disappeared from the screen, and Allya turned to Chakotay. "You know how to fly this thing?" He nodded. "Get us into the landing bay. I don't want a scratch on her when you land." Allya smiled, and walked out to the Captain's office to get something she had been given long ago, and never lost.

Janeway, Chakotay, Kim and Winters stepped into the landing bay and walked up to the Lieutenant. Janeway saw the look on his face, and answered the question it asked.

"She's still on the ship. I think she went to get something."

Allya picked up the box, and opened it. She took out the silver locket and opened it. Two photos. Her photo...and Tom's. There was a beep as the door to the office opened. Allya looked up and saw the reflection in the window. Saw _his_ reflection in the window. She span around. They didn't say anything, just looked at each other. Tom studied the woman in front of her. It wasn't the Ally he knew, she was...different. Somehow.

"Tom, I joined the Maquis so I could get into the delta quadrent. So I could come and find you. And I had a slight grudge against the Federation at the time." Tom watched her as she spoke.

"Ever since Captain Janeway let me onto the ship I've been hacking into the Federation files trying to find what happened to you." Ally smiled, and walked over to Tom. She took his hands in hers and looked up at him.

"I missed you, Tom."

"I missed you too, Ally." They kissed, and tears rolled down their cheeks as they relived a moment they thought they had lost forever.


End file.
